In women, Breast cancer is becoming usual disease and around 41000 women have been diagnosed in a year and also include 300 men. In UK, the breast cancer causes in women at the age of 35 to 55. The Brest cancer is diagnosed due to mammogram and abnormality seen on lump and due to the variations in consistency of breast tissues. In UK, the women in between the age of 50 to 69 are the part of national breast screening who are being proposed mammograms. With the help of this program, it will grab the cancer as soon as possible.
The main risk factors of breast cancer are genetic and hormonal factors which are being stated by researches. Staging system is a system where the extents are characterized to a particular cancer which has spread. The decisions for the treatment can be made with this help. The type to which cancer has spread influences the treatment.
Process of cancer:
In the beginning, cancer is found be a painless lump in women. The patient of breast cancer would not merely feel pain. The signs of breast cancer can be like appearance of lump or swelling in the arm pit, thickening of breast tissue, change in size and shape of the breast, skin dimpling and rashes impacting the nipples. The cancer start developing in the body by building tissues and tissues build the organs in the body. In human body, the cells develop and then separate to create new cells. It is a normal process of developing the new cells and death of cells. The cells are produced in the body because the body needs more cells but sometimes the body starts developing the cells without any need and that time new cells are produced but old cells are not dying. It means, the body is developing extra cells which form a mass of tissue. It is known as Tumor.
Tumors may be benign or malignant.
Benign tumors: It will not be called cancers and it can be erased and will not develop again. Benign tumors live threatening. In it, the cells do not place the tissues. And, the cells will not spread to other part of body.
Malignant tumors: Malignant tumors are life threatening as such it is more unsafe than benign tumors. In it, the cells of this tumor can spread to the other part in the body and tissues and organs got damaged. Malignant tumors can be removed but it can be grown back. It spread through dividing the original tumor. The cells are entered through the lymphatic system or bloodstream. The other tumors can be formed by the cells through placing the other organ which in result damages the organ. It is called as metastasis. The breast cancer can spread to brain, bones, liver and lungs.
Chemotherapy Treatment: In this treatment, anticancer drugs are employed to kill the cancer cells. Anticancer drugs, which is used in this treatment is comprises of more than one drug. This drug is imparted with injection in the vein or as a pill. The treatment of chemotherapy can be given at doctor’s office or at the home and outpatient part of hospital. But some women like to take this treatment in the hospital, so it can be taken in hospital as well. The options of the treatment of breast cancer are biological therapy, radiation therapy, surgery, chemotherapy and hormone therapy. The stage of the disease will determines the method or choice of the treatment. You should get the information regarding your activities after treatment. It is crucial to know that during, and after treatment, how will you appear?
Two ways of the treatment:-
Local therapy: Radiation therapy and surgery therapy is applied in this therapy which helps in removing cancer cells. This therapy is very helpful as such it will control the disease where the cancer cell is being spread.
Systemic therapy: Biological therapy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy is used in this therapy. The breast cancer patient requires systemic therapy to shrink the tumor earlier the treatment of radiation. The hormone therapy, chemotherapy and biological therapy are used by entering the blood stream, which helps in controlling cancer in the body. It will be beneficial for the cancer which has spread.
Drugs for breast cancer chemotherapy:
In breast cancer, following few drugs are used in the treatment. Most of the time, mixture of these three drugs of chemotherapy is applied in the treatment of cancer.
• Docetaxel
• Methotrexate
• 5-fluorouracil or 5FU
• Doxorubicin
• Mitomycin
• Cyclophosphamide
• Epirubicin
• Mitozantrone
The “adjuvant chemotherapy” should comprise of 4 to 8 cycles and should be a combination of drugs, which should be comprise of doxorubicin or epirubicin.
The following are the most drug combinations, which are used for breast cancer :
• MMM- Mitizantrone, methotrexate and mitomicin
• E-CMF- epirubicin, which is followed by CMF
• AC- doxorubicin (adriamycin) and cyclophosphamide
• CMF- Cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-FU
• FEC- epirubicin, cyclophosphamide and 5-FU
• MM- Methotrexate and mitozantrone
Side Effects of chemotherapy for breast cancer:
During the treatment, the healthy cells and tissues are often damaged. The type of the treatment determines the type of side effects and it is not same for each woman. This treatment will lower the number of red blood cells, palates and white blood cells in the body.
Following are other side- effects:-
• Sore eyes
• Sickness feeling
• Sore mouth
• Diarrhoea
• Changes in your periods
• Hair loss or thinning
The Side Effects are not permanent and will stop after the treatment. With the advice of the doctor, you can take some other medicines.
During the treatment, few long term side effects caused. The person would be tired after the treatment and few would need time to get back their energy .Some women may face problem in pregnancy and their periods may be affected . The periods will start again after 6 months or after a year after the completion of the treatment. You may got some menopausal systems like hot flushes,sweats, and mood change.